My profession today, tomorrow...

Introduction........................................................ ........................................................ ....... 3

1. Profession economist............................................................ .................................... 4

2. Specifics of the profession................................................... ................................... 6

3. Prospects for the profession.................................................... ................................ 8

Conclusion................................................. ........................................................ . eleven

List of used literature......................................................... ............ 12

Introduction

The profession of economist arose hundreds of years ago, when basic economic concepts began to exist: goods, exchange, money. Over the past centuries, the functions of an economist have changed and expanded significantly.

An economist collects and analyzes data on production activities, then evaluates how successful they are and, ultimately, prepares proposals for management to improve production and labor technology.

Economists have been and remain the most sought-after specialists in the labor market.

This work will examine all the pros and cons of the economist profession, the basic requirements for candidates, and prospects for the future.

1. Profession economist

An economist carries out an economic analysis of an organization's economic activities, develops measures to ensure savings, improve work efficiency, identify reserves, prevent losses and unproductive expenses, and more rational use of all types of resources. Performs calculations on material, labor and financial costs necessary for carrying out work (services), research and development in the development of new equipment and technology.

Economists work in several areas. For example, a labor economist calculates the salary for representatives of each profession - from an accountant to a miner. In addition, he knows how to evaluate the results of the work of the company's employees.

The planning department economist determines the most effective ways to make a profit. To do this, he first calculates what income can be received in the future and how much money will be needed for this. He then counts the profits and considers how to use them. Thus, he plans the economic activities of the enterprise. Then the economist will evaluate the extent to which his plan has been implemented, that is, analyze the implementation of the plans and the results achieved by the enterprise. He will draw conclusions and begin to develop plans for the next future.

The task of a financial economist is to generate and distribute income and savings, to provide financial resources for production. This specialist ensures that the company fulfills its financial obligations to the state and banks, pays taxes correctly, and pays suppliers on time.

There are other economic specialties: economists in contract and claims work, logistics, sales, etc.

Anyone who wants to be an economist must first of all love and know mathematics well. In addition, the work of an economist requires accuracy and precision, and since he often has to defend the interests of the enterprise, he must be a principled and honest person. To become a competent economist, you need to graduate from an economics university. There they study the theoretical foundations of economics, statistics, and the basics of financial and banking activities. In addition, an economist must have a good knowledge of the specifics of the enterprise in which he will work.

The main advantage of the profession of economist is that economists have been and remain the most sought-after specialists in the labor market. High wages are also an integral part.

One of the main employer requirements for candidates is experience in similar positions. In turn, this represents a vicious circle, since a specialist who has just graduated from a university does not have work experience, and it will be difficult for him to get a position as an economist.

But in most cases, graduates still find application for their knowledge in production, in business, in the financial sector, and in science. But according to statistics, about 50% of economics graduates prefer banks or consulting companies.

The personal qualities that an economist must have include:

· Ability to analyze large amounts of information,

· Good memory,

· High concentration,

· Patience,

· Communication skills

· Organizational skills.

The great advantage of this profession is also that you can start from the position of an ordinary economist, and in the future - become a company manager who is responsible for the development of the company, its competitiveness, controls and coordinates the activities of all structural divisions. With experience, income also increases.

The main tasks of the profession “Economist”:

· collection, processing, assessment of primary economic information;

· analysis of accounting and reporting information for the purpose of making business decisions and obtaining an assessment of the efficiency of functioning of enterprise facilities;

· forecasting economic phenomena and processes;

· participation in planning the economic activities of the enterprise;

· development of a rational system for organizing accounting and reporting based on the choice of effective accounting policies;

· organizing work to record the presence and movement of assets, liabilities and capital, determining the results of the economic and financial activities of the enterprise;

· practical application of the principles and rules of auditing basic business transactions.

Main types of professional activities of a specialist:

· accounting and analytical;

· control and audit;

· audit;

· consulting;

· organizational and managerial;

· normative and methodological.

2. Specifics of the profession

There are very high demands on an economist. He must have solid theoretical knowledge:

· understand the laws of economic science and the laws of development of society as such,

· be able to analyze statistical data and give them the correct interpretation,

· be able to think not only in accordance with the laws of logic, but also have the gift of extrapolation - extending conclusions from today's data to the future development of the situation, taking into account the action of all kinds of permanent and temporary factors.

To cope with these tasks, an economist must be fluent in mathematics. It is no coincidence that in all economic faculties, without exception, the study of mathematics is given a very large place.

Information technologies that have entered our lives could not but leave their mark on the work of specialists in this field. Special computer programs, on the one hand, significantly facilitate the work of an economist, but on the other hand, they require increased computer literacy. Therefore, the study of computer science as a basis necessary for mastering various applied programs is also an indispensable part of the education of a future economist.

Solid, but too narrow knowledge is not enough to make a really good career in the economic field. We also need a rich general culture, which a humanitarian education provides. Philosophy, sociology, political science are sciences whose mastery helps an economist not to lose his breadth of thinking, to be able to see the forest for the trees, in other words, to fit specific events of economic life into a broader social context and give them a correct assessment.

Such a branch of humanitarian knowledge as law deserves special mention. After all, an economist has to act not in an abstract and abstract environment, but in the real conditions of economic life, subject to strict legal norms and legal laws. By seriously studying law, economics students not only broaden their personal horizons - they lay the foundation for their future professional activities.

An economist also needs English. A competent economist, no matter where he works, is obliged to familiarize himself with specialized literature, and it mainly appears in English. And the terminology of economic science itself is largely based on the English language. Knowledge of another foreign language, mainly German or French, is also strongly encouraged.

The main quality of any economist is the ability to think logically, which is sometimes called a mathematical mindset. If more or less complex operations with numbers and symbols drive you into a stupor for a long time, it will be very difficult to study at the Faculty of Economics and it will be painfully uninteresting to work.

People who are highly organized, attentive to detail, and committed to order and accuracy have a greater chance of succeeding as an economist. Job stability is extremely highly valued. For people who are forgetful and absent-minded by nature, it is better to stay away from the economy.

General emotional stability is also of great importance. An economist, especially above a certain level, has to solve “equations” with many unknowns and take responsibility for risk. The ability to keep a “cool head”, not to succumb to momentary moods, strict self-control are undoubtedly positive qualities, and their absence or the direct opposite is a compelling reason to once again think about the correctness of the choice made

3. Prospects for the profession

An economist is one of the most significant specialists in an enterprise. No enterprise can operate without a business plan. It is this employee who sets the vector of movement for the joint efforts of all employees. You need to correctly set priorities and goals in order to get maximum profits with minimal losses. A special feature of this profession in modern realities is that there is now an oversupply of economists on the labor market. Demand has generated a very large supply, so employers choose not yesterday’s graduates, but specialists with experience. As practice shows, not all graduates are fluent in accounting and tax accounting, and there is no need to talk about the accuracy of forecasts at all.

Let's start with the relevance of the economist profession. This specialty quickly moved from being unpromising to the forefront with the advent of the free market, and since the 1990s, it has topped the list of priority specialties among those entering higher education institutions.

When choosing the profession of an economist, as a promising and successful one, you just need to take into account all the pros and cons of this specialty, as well as how much you like working with calculations and solving certain problems yourself.

The profession of an economist has the following advantages:

• The profession of an economist is universal, so getting an economic education means that even for a specialist who has a different education, it helps to increase competence;

• A specialist who masters the profession of economist has a good prospect in implementing his professional knowledge, even if there is a large number of graduates with an economic education.

Currently, more and more people are striving to obtain, along with another profession, an additional economic education, which contributes to a better understanding of the laws operating in the economy and broadening their horizons in the field of business.

Economists are in demand for every company in which they can apply their knowledge in economics, as employment prospects are trending positively.

For a graduate of an educational institution, it is necessary to immediately determine the area in which he prefers to carry out his activities in the field of economics.

Areas of economics include a variety of areas, such as:

• financial management;
• accounting;
• analysis;
• marketing and others.

Various areas of economic activity contribute to achieving a successful career.

And one of the advantages is that this activity is classified as fairly independent, since you have to not only analyze processes in the economy, but also influence their implementation, like a strategist-commander, by:

• improving the structure of the enterprise;
• optimization of personnel;
• concentration of efforts to achieve the assigned tasks.

An important advantage of the profession of an economist is the high payment, for example, the salary of economists with experience can reach more than 50 thousand rubles.

The profession of an economist also has disadvantages:

• One of them in the profession of economist is that a specialist without experience has to work for up to several years for a relatively low salary;

• In addition, at the initial stage of the career ladder, there is a lot of competition among ordinary economists, so they usually have to gain experience in small companies.

Therefore, when choosing a profession as an economist, it is necessary to take into account the pros and cons and how they relate to each other.

Remember the qualities that a future economist must have:

• stress resistance;
• communication skills;
• attentiveness and good memory;
• ability to perform a lot of monotonous work;
• ability to smooth out conflict situations;
• a neat appearance that will make people trust you;
• knowledge of a foreign language, or better yet several.

You can learn more about the profession of an economist by watching this video.

Where can I get an education as an economist? To do this, you need to find universities in your or neighboring cities. The advantage of modern education is the opportunity to receive it in absentia. This means that you can work in this position at the same time, but for less money. But you will also get a more complete understanding of this profession and experience in this field.

The ideas of the greatest economist Karl Marx formed the basis of the idea of ​​the Russian revolution. Vladimir Lenin found in them the truth of a new world, a new order. The scientist’s works changed not only Russian, but also world history. It was on their basis that communism in the Soviet interpretation was built. Joseph Stiglitz criticized the policies of the World Bank even as the organization's chief economist. He literally forced the world's attention to the obstacles that free markets create in developing countries.Paul Krugman even seemed like a soothsayer, because throughout the entire presidency of George Bush he predicted the economic consequences of every decision of the first person of the state and turned out to be right.

It is difficult to overestimate the role of leading specialists in the global economy. But is it really possible to achieve such heights by graduating from one of the provincial Russian universities? Who is an economist, what should a specialist know and what can a specialist count on? Let's talk about this further.

Who is an economist

An economist is a specialist in the field of economic sciences. His professional activities are based on research, planning and management of activities (primarily economic ones). Contrary to popular belief, economics is a humanities science, not a technical one. The profession should not be confused with the specialty of an accountant or financier. This is an independent industry, and the work of specialists is aimed specifically at analysis, planning, and research into consequences and risks. An economist can be a scientist (theorist) or a manager (practitioner). The list of responsibilities and tasks depends on the position.

What does a practicing economist do:

• Plans the company's activities.
• Analyzes processes, develops strategies to improve economic efficiency.
• Determines the system of remuneration of personnel and their financial motivation.
• Calculates the costs and profits of an enterprise in the short and long term.
• Controls financial processes in the enterprise.

A practical economist can also hold positions in government agencies - for example, be the Minister of Economic Development. However, more often such positions go to theorists - scientists who are able to look at things more broadly and work with the larger economies of cities, regions and countries. Practitioners are often in demand at enterprises, banks and other financial institutions, in the hotel and restaurant business. Depending on qualifications, a specialist can occupy different positions in the company structure.

Key features of the profession

The main task of a specialist in an enterprise is to organize activities in such a way that it is profitable and profits constantly grow. Knowledge of economics alone is not enough for a company to achieve high profits.

Therefore, it is important to ensure interaction with engineers, marketers, HR managers, senior management and other parts of the organization.

Example : The economist considers it necessary to purchase inexpensive Chinese equipment during the crisis and reduce this cost item by 30%. But production engineers know that this particular technique will not ensure production at standard levels and product quality. If a decision is made based on the economic component alone, it will lead to collapse. That’s why contact with the company’s personnel and its management is so important.

Accordingly, we can highlight the basic features of the profession:

1. The need to build contact with company personnel, collect information from experts on each specific issue.
2. Participation in the construction of large-scale strategies, the ability to ensure their implementation in the short and long term.
3. The relevance of constantly analyzing the market situation and improving your own qualifications - the market is changing too quickly.

In addition, each enterprise may require a specialist to perform a different range of tasks. So a small company cannot afford to maintain a large staff in the field of economics and finance. Accordingly, an economist can take on the functions of an accountant, financier, auditor and other specialties that are indirectly related to his main job responsibilities. Practice shows that economists, in the original understanding of the meaning of this profession, are mainly scientists and officials who are abstracted from the realities of modern production.

What an economist should know

First of all, theory. In practice, managers, finance and credit specialists can work in this position. But in comparison with narrow specialists in the industry, they have a key disadvantage - the lack of specialized higher education. During this process, the most powerful theoretical foundation is laid, which is important to be able to apply in practice.

What an economist should know first:

• Theory of economic sciences.
• Accounting.
• Precedents from world experience.
• Algorithms for overcoming the crisis.
• Investments and management.

Many specialists receive a second education after employment. For example, when working in a company specializing in food production, they receive the additional profession of production technologist. This helps to increase operational efficiency and understanding of the key features of the enterprise. The economy in this case is inextricably linked with production. And ensuring maximum profit for the company, the least painful way out of the crisis and labor efficiency is possible only with expert knowledge of the specifics of the enterprise.

What personal qualities should a specialist have?

Analytic mind. An economist is, first of all, a strategist and an excellent manager. In this situation, he needs to analyze a lot, to see what even the senior management of the company does not see.

Market research, monitoring the dynamics of the company’s economic development, building a strategy for increasing profits and reducing operating costs are the basic tasks of a specialist.

An analytical mind and the ability to see the market picture in nuances are the key qualities that a specialist must have.

Perfectionism. Psychologists call the constant pursuit of ideals a deviation from the norm, but for an economist it is to some extent necessary. One missed nuance can make the entire economic picture of an enterprise incorrect. In this situation, dedication and the willingness to repeatedly retest strategies and ideas are especially important. Constant development, the desire for self-education and studying world experience also play an important role. The market does not stand still, and the economist needs to constantly analyze the situation.

Communication skills. A practitioner needs to contact employees of enterprises, organizations, establishments and institutions. He cannot be an expert on all issues, so the ability to obtain a professional opinion from a person who has a better understanding of any issue is especially important. It is equally important to find a common language with management and convince them of the correctness of the proposed strategy for economic development or overcoming the crisis - in practice, bosses rarely trust their subordinates, regardless of the employee’s qualifications and achievements.

Where is the best place to study to become an economist?

The presentation of the educational institution should not confuse you. Non-state universities, online universities - all this is good, but not for first education. It is best to obtain it at a classical state university or institute. And the more prestigious the educational institution you choose, the better.

• Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
• High School of Economics.
• MGIMO.
• Economic University named after. Plekhanov
• Moscow State University named after Lomonosov.

The leadership of these universities is ambiguous. In various rankings, the TOP 5 includes St. Petersburg State University, the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation and other higher educational institutions.

Pay attention not so much to statistical, but to real indicators. Find out from the admissions office what percentage of graduates work in their specialty. Check average salary data. Pay attention to reviews from students and graduates - this information is constantly changing and will only be relevant at the time of search. Don't be lazy to find and analyze it.

Do graduates of regional, less prestigious universities have a chance for a successful career? Undoubtedly. Graduates of prestigious universities have advantages at the start, but as they work, all preferences dissolve. Whether you can make a dizzying career or be content with an average salary depends only on you. 90% of the world's best economists graduated from prestigious universities. But getting into the remaining 10% is quite possible if you really want it.

Pros and cons of the profession

When talking about advantages and disadvantages, it is important to keep their conventions in mind. In different companies and organizations, economists may be given different powers, and different requirements may be placed on them. Therefore, we note only those advantages and disadvantages that are the most common and claim to be objective.

Advantages of being an economist:

• A chance to make a dizzying career.
• On average, high wages.
• Prestigious profession.
• Opportunity to take up leadership positions.
• An interesting job for people with an analytical mind.
• Significant impact.

The influence of a specialist is expressed in his professional role: the fate of the enterprise, and sometimes the region, country, and world economy will depend on the correctness of the chosen economic development strategy. When schoolchildren write an essay on the topic “My future profession is an economist,” they do not always realize the importance of this specialty. But just as often they forget about significant shortcomings.

Disadvantages of being an economist:

• Difficulty of learning.
• Minimum budget places.
• Preferences for graduates of prestigious universities.
• Complex work without instructions and algorithms.
• The need to constantly improve.

Lack of instructions is one of the key drawbacks. If at school you are used to learning formulas, theorems and solving formulaic problems based on the knowledge you have acquired, then everything will be completely different here. You know how the head of a large company dealt with the crisis. But you don’t know what to do when your company suffers losses due to the failure of an advertising campaign. Therefore, there can be no talk of any instructions or guarantees of the correctness of the decision you made.

How much does an economist earn?

Wages vary not only in regions - there is a significant difference between the maximum and minimum wages.

The average salary of an economist in Russia is 42 thousand rubles. But obviously this is the “average temperature in the hospital.” About 70% of specialists work in the regions and receive no more than 25-27 thousand rubles. Here the gap is significant even in comparison with the national average.

In the capital, the average salary of an economist is 90 thousand rubles. But even here there are specialists who work for the notorious 30 thousand. The gap between the maximum and minimum wages is significant. According to statistics, the best specialists in Russia in the field of economics receive over 450 thousand rubles per month. Naturally, their share of the total number is extremely small. The size of your salary will depend only on you - no one can guarantee the maximum.

Summary

If you decide to choose economics as the area of ​​your professional development, then try to choose a state and the most prestigious university for studying. Remember that this is not the easiest profession; it is suitable only for very responsible, developed people with an analytical mind. You will have to work hard and take risks to have a great career. You shouldn’t expect huge salaries immediately after graduating from university.

Evgenia Melnikova

Editor of the Info-Profi portal, teacher with 16 years of experience, practicing tutor.

Details Updated: 11/01/2019 19:51 Published: 05/08/2017 17:08

An economist is an employee who is considered to be a qualified specialist working in a segment of the economy.

This name applies not only to scientists - theorists, but also to practitioners who work in the field of studying, developing and managing the economic activities of an organization.

History of the profession

This specialty belongs to modern society, despite the fact that in translation “economics” sounds like “housekeeping”.

The ancient Greek scientist and philosopher Aristotle is secretly considered the very first economist, because it was he who authored the theory of exchange of goods, their practicality and price.

Features of the profession

The economist is one of the key specialists of the institution. The job of a professional is to structure a number of necessary priorities and methods with the goal of obtaining maximum income for the organization in the future, without incurring significant financial losses.

Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the economist profession:

• Development and optimization of the organization's work.
• Direct participation in the process of calculating wages and bonus payments to all employees of a particular institution, calculating the need to coordinate vacancies in the HR department.
• Analysis of the amount of costs, resources involved, expenses and income of the organization.
• Direct supervision of financial and economic work.

Important qualities

Necessary qualities that an economist must have:

• good mental performance;
• excellent memory;
• the ability to concentrate on achieving a goal;
• ability to process large volumes of financial data;
• the ability to clearly and concisely convey and argue the chosen position, both orally and in writing;
• responsibility;
• punctuality;
• willingness to develop as a professional;
• activity and determination;
• competence in research types of work.

Skills and knowledge

Necessary knowledge and skills to work as an economist:

• Having a higher economic education.
• Competence in the specifics of financial research and accounting.
• Skills in working with contracts and primary documentation.
• PC proficiency (basic range of programs plus 1C).

Prospects and career

Today, this profession is in significant demand in the labor market, which increases the chances of finding a job with a good salary or opening your own profitable business. At the same time, the success of the organization in which he works directly depends on this professional, which entails serious responsibility. Additionally, the work involves all sorts of calculations, which requires enormous effort and concentration to achieve effective results.

In order for a young specialist to gain the necessary experience in a minimum period, it is recommended to develop his work activity in a small organization, where he will have the opportunity to instantly and in detail become familiar with the current state of affairs, both in the economy of the country and the specific institution of which he is an employee. From the very beginning, he will have to find the most optimal solution to a number of problems, and not work in a specific profile. Advancement up the career ladder of a specialist consists of obtaining, after some time, the position of leading economist, and subsequently - director of finance.

This specialty is rightfully considered to be in high demand in the following areas:

• Government organizations that deal with economic problems (Ministry of Finance, Central Bank).
• Institutions of the industrial and agricultural sector.
• Educational institutions.
• Hotel and restaurant business;
• Private business enterprises of various scales of activity;
• Financial institutions.
• Research Institute, AN.

Education

Almost everything an economist needs to know is taught in the economics departments of many universities. Obtaining a specialized education will not be difficult, but difficulties may arise in the process of finding a job with the most favorable conditions and high wages, because the high demand for specialists in this field has directly led to a rapid increase in the number of applicants on the labor market. To improve their qualifications, young specialists are recommended not only to improve previously acquired knowledge in practice, but also to systematically attend specialized courses.

Economist is traditionally one of the most popular areas of study in Russian universities. Today IQ Review will tell you what kind of profession an “economist” is, how it differs from being an accountant, and how much they pay for it. Natalya, an economist with five years of experience, shared her story.

Why did I choose the profession of economist?

I live in the Kastorensky district of the Kursk region. She worked as an economist for 5 years, she started working after finishing her 3rd year at the institute.

Why does a company need an economist?

Many people believe that the profession of an economist is akin to the profession of an accountant. After all, both of them work with numbers related to the organization’s work, its profitability and results.

Difference between economist and accountant consists in the fact that the accountant actually collects and systematizes the documentation and its contents, and the economist must analyze and evaluate the results of work for a specific period, identify shortcomings and, based on what happened, make a forecast.

Yes, yes, an economist is a kind of predictor who is based on facts.

What you need to know to work as an economist

First of all, working as an economist involves close communication with numbers, formulas and various kinds of relationships. Therefore, knowledge of mathematics and its fundamentals is mandatory. Anyone who is unable to find the percentage of a given number simply has no business in this field. It is desirable, or rather, even mandatory, for a person to have an analytical mind. After all, based on the obtained data, it is necessary to assess the current situation at the enterprise and submit a report to the manager.

An example of an economist's work — prove which of the selected areas of activity is profitable, and which project should be suspended or completely closed.

Nowadays, the vast majority of specialized higher educational institutions, technical schools and colleges have faculties that train economists. This is due to the fact that the profession is very popular among young people. The university I graduated from has an agricultural focus. From the first to the third year we studied subjects that all competent and educated agricultural workers should know. I won’t list everything, but among them were crop farming, livestock farming, philosophy, mechanization and others.

At first we didn’t understand why we needed, say, mechanization. But in senior courses, when in statistics or enterprise economics we began to be asked problems to calculate fuel consumption, seed yield or livestock productivity, in which it was necessary to derive profitability and projected profit, everything fell into place.

The essence of the profession of economist is to know all the ins and outs of the enterprise, every “cog” that can be “screwed” into the system in order to increase returns.

And, of course, in modern conditions every specialist should know a computer. And not at the user level. An advanced user of Microsoft Office programs is the minimum required for work; they usually also require knowledge of 1C products.

How to find a job for a novice economist

Getting a job as an economist, especially from scratch, without work experience, is very difficult, almost impossible. This requires either, or a lucky break. Newcomers can get this job in an alternative way - start working at the enterprise in a different position, while simultaneously studying at a university to major in economics. Management will definitely notice the employee’s desire for improvement and, at the first opportunity, will provide the desired position.

Typically, when hiring newcomers to this position, managers do not make serious demands.. They ask you to present a diploma of education and ask several questions about your knowledge in the field in which the company operates. Whether the candidate can cope with his responsibilities or not remains to be seen during the probationary period. For all employees this is three months; for management personnel the period can be extended to six months. At this time, the management of the enterprise may decide to dismiss the employee due to the fact that he cannot cope with his duties. Therefore, apart from lost time, the director of the enterprise does not risk anything in this situation.

The main thing for any position is the applicant’s goodwill, correct speech and communication skills. Particularly in the provinces, where everyone knows everything about each other, the authorities usually make inquiries about the person.

How I found a job - personal experience

From personal experience I can say that I read an advertisement in a local newspaper that a trading company needed an economist. Having plucked up the impudence, since I had only completed my third year at the institute by profession, I came to the director and stated that I didn’t know anything about work, but I was eager to work in this field and in this position. I must say that I worked for a long time, so I imagined the “kitchen” of a trading enterprise. This was also said. I don’t know what was the decisive factor, but two days later the director called me back and invited me to come to the company’s office with documents for registration.

Functional responsibilities of an economist at an enterprise

A few words about what an economist should do at his workplace every day. First, you need to describe the company itself a little. This is a part of a network company, well-known in Russia, which specializes in retail trade in consumer goods (food, household items, furniture, toys and office supplies). The structure of the organization, which was managed by 6 people, included 30 rural shops.

The first thing that started my activity- this is a compilation of daily turnover for each store. For this purpose, there was a special notebook, which was lined by hand, where a list of stores was located horizontally, and the amount of daily revenue sold by each outlet was entered vertically. Amounts were selected from the 1C program with a cumulative total. As a result, at the end of the month the result of the enterprise’s work was visible in the form of a total amount and the result of the work of each store and its turnover. This concept refers to the number of days required to sell the average stock of goods in a retail outlet. Average inventory for the period is divided by the average one-day turnover of the point.

At the end of each month, in a special table made in the Excel editor, a comparative analysis of the work of each outlet was carried out in comparison with the previous month and the same period last year. This made it possible to analyze the work of the enterprise as a whole and for each department.
Costs and expenses were analyzed in the same way. I made similar forms to analyze the costs of electricity, repairs of premises, gas supply, wages and deductions, and the amount of remaining goods in stores.

The number of reports the preparation of which was part of my responsibilities is difficult to calculate. The main three were sent monthly to the head office located in the city of Kursk, and included all the indicators that the company had achieved over the past month. Every month a report was prepared to the Statistical Office, which included the same data. In addition, quarterly and annual reports on production performance for the quarter and year were submitted.

By the end of the quarter, I was developing a plan for each store for the next three months. Planning was based on a comparative analysis of similar periods of the past three years and the last quarter.

By all rights, the plan for a retail outlet should be directly linked to the number of people living in the village where the store operates, but this is a real problem. Information about residents is collected by calling village administrations, but they have one thing in their papers, but in reality it is completely different. They provide information only about registered citizens who, perhaps, have not lived there for many years, and those who came to work and live without registration are simply not taken into account.

Therefore, my method was the most optimal. In January of each year, an indicative plan for the coming year was drawn up. It was based on the figures that the parent company presented to us and the capabilities of each store.

How much do economists earn?

It’s difficult for me to talk about how much people in my profession earn in big cities, but for our area my salary was considered good. My salary was 16,000 rubles. Minus the income tax of 13% and trade union dues from this figure, we received about 14,500 rubles per month. Payments were made officially, with all necessary deductions. The social package was represented only by payment of sick leave and gifts for children for the New Year holidays - not the scale of an enterprise that offers free trips to the sea or its own children's camps.

According to the statistics that I was interested in, the minimum salary of an economist in a large city starts at 22,000 rubles, and its upper limit is 80,000 rubles. But in order to earn that much, you need to have extensive work experience in this specialty, and also live in the city.

Pros and cons of being an economist

To the advantages of the profession It can be attributed to the fact that the economist is an employee independent of anyone other than the director. In addition, people who decided to devote themselves to this profession are individuals who put a creative approach to activity at the forefront. The ability to see what others don't see, to improve structure and staffing so that efforts can be directed towards achieving goals is really exciting.

I don't see any shortcomings in this work. The only problem, characteristic of the vast majority of enterprises in our time, is to load the one who copes with his responsibilities with the maximum number of additional functions that distract from the main process.

What does it take to be appreciated and noticed?

In my case, the only people above me in rank were the director of the organization. Accounting is not my thing! But I had no desire to become a leader. No, I don’t want to say that I’m not ambitious! Very much! But this is not the case. Our director had so many responsibilities and problems that it sometimes seemed to me as if he spent the night in his office. The enterprise, which he inherited from his predecessor, was in a state of extreme decline. And he didn't even have time to breathe.

I held a good position, I really liked my work, and I didn’t want to change anything. In addition, not having much experience and experience, I tried to go to neighboring branches of the parent organization to see experienced economists, where I learned a lot. Several times I was sent to advanced training courses, after which I was entrusted with working with personnel.

Parting words for beginners

The most important thing in our profession, as in any other, is to remain human. Attention to details and numbers, perseverance and literacy are qualities that must be present. It is advisable, if the opportunity arises, to first get a job as an assistant economist. This will allow you to avoid many mistakes and miscalculations common to beginners in any profession.